The danger comes from the risk of collapse in the middle of the scrum.

An Australian study published last year in the Medical Journal of Australia found that the incidence of spinal injuries in rugby union was twice as high as in rugby league.

The researchers found that 39% of spinal injuries that occurred during a scrum resulted in players being dependent on a wheelchair.

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Basically, do people think its up to the player to make sure they are fit to play the game (as going into a contact sports match cold & unfit is pretty stupid), or up to the ruling bodies to make sure players are safe?

Obviously, when you have two packs of forwards (which, on average in rugby union weigh between 120-180+ stones) pushing against each other it produces huge strains on the necks of the guys in the middle. When done properly, however, there should not be any danger. So is it up to the referees to make sure things are ok? Could a case be made that they would be liable for any injuries sustained?

Where would/should the line be drawn? Outlawing anything that puts sportspeople in danger would obviously lead to the prevalence of non-contact sports, which I dont think anyone wants, but this seems to be where things might be heading.